Bleeding Love For Her Erik
by DaniNatureGirl313
Summary: Yet another story inspired by the plane argument scene in "DOFP". I imagined my OC, Amanda, watching that fight. This is her reflecting on her loving, yet extremely complicated & controversial relationship w/ Erik. I may do more stories like this in the future.


_**AN: I'm so sorry for the occasional long breaks between the song verses, but the themes in them were incredibly easy to play w/, so I elaborated wherever the muses told me to. Certain scenes used in this will pop up again in "Cerulean Dreams", but will likely be from another character's pov.**_

_**Closed off from love, I didn't need the pain.**_

_**Once or twice was enough, and it was all in vain.**_

_**Time starts to pass.**_

_**Before you know it, you're frozen.**_

Amanda Corrine had grown up with a loving mother. And for the most part, that was enough. Still, there was always a part of her that wanted more. Because of the circumstances of her conception and birth, many of her more conservative family members shied away from her. She knew they whispered things under their breath about her mom, as well, calling her a liar or a harlot. There were only a couple of real exceptions. She became used to it over time, losing the will to try anymore. As she got older and started college, any thoughts family-related, like marriage and children of her own, were pushed to the farthest possible back corner of her mind. She didn't really think it would happen, until she saw a newspaper article that changed everything.

_**But something happened for the very first time with you.**_

_**My heart melts into the ground, found something true.**_

_**And everyone's looking around, thinking I'm going crazy.**_

When those crystalline silver-blue eyes first met hers, and he flashed that blinding toothy grin, Amanda knew she was in seriously deep trouble. Surely it couldn't be…but it was. This was love-at-first-sight. She thought it only happened for certain types of people, types that she was far from falling into. So many things were working against her and her love for Erik Lehnsherr. He was fourteen years older than her, technically old enough to be her father if they'd been living in the Middle-Ages. She was just two years out of still being considered a child.

There was something else, too, though…a darker part of his childhood that hardly anyone dared to ask about. Amanda really didn't, either, but Erik still felt comfortable and trusting enough to share it with her anyway. That same initial connection of trust made it easy for them to better accept their other emotions. Both were so amazed by what they found in each other: deep love, comfort, and of course, passion. No one could deny that the couple was passionate for each other. Sean Cassidy's near-constant shout of "Get a room", sometimes from when they simply looked at each other, was a source of many giggle-fits. Not everyone was happy, however. They thought Amanda was nuts for binding herself to Erik in marriage, for caring anything about him period.

_**But I don't care what they say.**_

_**I'm in love with you.**_

_**They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth.**_

_**My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing.**_

_**You cut me open, and I keep bleeding.**_

The detractors of her relationship cited another part of Erik's past as the reason for their feelings. He'd spent years hunting down Nazi war criminals, torturing each one horribly along the way, even killing a few. His vengeful quest to also kill Sebastian Shaw was another reason. What would he do if Amanda ever made him angry? He was too damaged. It wouldn't work. But none of their words affected her. They didn't see Erik the way she did, see how much he cried and hurt in private, how she comforted him when he had a camp flashback. Seeing him suffer made her suffer, too, but she knew she had to stay strong for him. She loved Erik desperately, and that was all that mattered to her.

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**I keep bleeding.**_

_**I keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**Keep bleeding.**_

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**You cut me open.**_

Things were getting worse out there. Her husband had been arrested for assisting in the murder of President Kennedy. But that was impossible, because he'd been standing right next to Amanda, watching the news report on television when it happened. That was years ago, and she hadn't seen or heard from him since then. Communication of any kind wasn't allowed by the powers that be. After that, the Vietnam War grew worse, with Alex and Sean choosing to enlist. Only Alex survived. Some older students followed suit, while parents of the younger ones panicked and brought them home. Then, several of her friends in Erik's group were captured, and she never knew what happened to them. The mansion became like a ghost town. And in the middle of all that, dear Charles grew deeply depressed. Amanda couldn't help but feel like part of this was her fault. If she hadn't gotten involved with Erik, then maybe…things would've turned out better. All she could do for now was to rely on love. It had always worked before, but she hated how much it also hurt.

_**Trying hard not to hear, but they talk so loud.**_

_**Their piercing sounds fill my ears. **_

_**Try to fill me with doubt.**_

_**Yet I know that the goal is to keep me from falling.**_

"That man is a monster, a murderer." Charles was talking to a man named Logan, who claimed to be from the future, and he apparently had a special life-or-death message from their older selves. Hearing her brother talk that way about Erik set Amanda's teeth on-edge. He never had before, and she never thought he actually would. As she observed their conversation, she felt a comforting hand settle on her left shoulder. She glanced back, offering a soft, sad smile and "Thanks, Henry." Hank McCoy was her best guy friend, always the second voice of reason whenever she'd needed it. He'd been there from the very beginning of her relationship with Erik, once again offering his firm, but tentative and nervous support. He'd advised her that something like would happen. She said that she understood, but was choosing to stay positive. She was suddenly grateful that Alex was overseas, not wanting to imagine the "I told you so"-type glare he'd be shooting at her right now. Several times years earlier, he'd tried to stop her from loving a man he hated, but a connection like that just couldn't be denied.

_**But nothing's greater than the rush that comes with your embrace.**_

_**And in this world of loneliness, I see your face.**_

_**Yet everyone around me thinks that I'm going crazy…maybe, maybe.**_

As Amanda stepped out from her hiding place in the Blackbird's bathroom, she kept her head high and said, "Hello, husband." His eyes widened, a disbelieving smile slowly crossing his face, and she was sure a similar expression was now on hers. Her heart did gymnastics in her chest and her face grew extremely warm, a white-hot jolt of emotion coursing through her veins. She seemed to have tunnel-vision, not caring for anything or anyone else around her. Apparently, he didn't either. In two quick strides, they were in each other's arms, Amanda's legs braced around his hips. The loneliness was over. She cried into the curve of his neck, inhaling deeply as she took in the comfortingly familiar smell of his evergreen aftershave. He was doing the same to her, peppering kisses up and down her neck as he mumbled endearments in his native language. Then, his lips were on hers, a passionate "I missed you so much"-type kiss long in the making. She'd been so composed up until that moment, so she knew her behavior must've looked weird. Maybe it did, but neither of them was willing to care.

_**But I don't care what they say.**_

_**I'm in love with you.**_

_**They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth.**_

_**My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing.**_

_**You cut me open, and I keep bleeding.**_

"_You_ abandoned _us_ _all_." Amanda couldn't believe those words had come out of Erik's mouth. After she stopped them from continuing to fight, and had gotten a kiss on her palm from her husband, she followed Charles to the cockpit to talk with him and Hank. Behind her, she could hear Erik and Logan having a conversation, too, something about both being survivors. Then, their talk drifted to being about her. Logan said, "How on God's green earth could you just walk away from a classy doll like Amanda? She's a sweetheart." "Tell me something I _don't_ know." "Hey, I'm serious." "So am I."

The feral man growled under his breath, pausing a minute before continuing, "I'm not normally a guy who gets openly sentimental, but…look, I'd trade everything I got and more if a woman would look at me the way she looks at you. I tried for it once, but she belonged to someone else. I don't understand how someone could willingly give that up." "I _didn't_ give her up. I love Amanda more than my own life." "Yeah, and you do a real great job of showing it, too." "I did what I had to do to survive, and to keep her and our family out of the conflict. I didn't want her to see the things I saw." "Mm-hm. I'll bet she was probably freaked out. Her brother was having an emotional breakdown, her sister went a. w. o. l., two friends went off to 'Nam and one of them died, most of her other friends left. Sounds like she really needed a shoulder to lean on, somebody to comfort her. So…I guess that leaves us with the same question you asked the professor." He paused again and asked, "Where were _you_, Mags?" "Don't call me that." "I'll call you whatever the hell I want. You're not exactly in a position to request proper manners here." "And you are? I shouldn't have to explain myself to anyone I don't know. I shouldn't have to explain myself, period."

That was her cue. Amanda politely excused herself and went back to Erik's side, patting him on the shoulder and asking, "Everything okay in here, baby?" Casting a brief sideways glance at the man standing nearby, he replied, "Yes…yes, everything's fine. Did Charles or Hank want to see me?" "Not exactly, but I do think it's best if you went over there anyway, just in case." She raised an eyebrow to make her point, earning an under-his-breath chuckle. "I get it, goddess, okay", and he kissed her once as he stood before saying again, "I get it." After he left, Logan said, "You know, even in my time, I never understood the bond you two had, how you could put up with all his garbage if it hurt you that much." Amanda looked him straight in the eyes and told him, "Yes, Erik's actions did hurt me, more than you could possibly imagine. But I _put_ _up_ _with_ _it_, as you say, because I love him. I _love_ him, Logan, and that's _never_ going to change."

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**I keep bleeding.**_

_**I keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**Keep bleeding.**_

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**You cut me open.**_

"You tried to kill my sister? How could you do that _again_?" "She is a threat, my goddess. Her DNA will help create the Sentinels. That's what Logan said." Amanda was livid, and more than a little heartbroken, too. This wasn't the man she married, not even close. She didn't know this man at all. This coldness, this unwavering ruthlessness, this angry determinedness…this was Magneto talking, not her Erik. This wasn't her soul-mate, her lover, the man who made her a mom, who she laughed with, who cried on her shoulder and held her when she, herself, cried…she couldn't take it anymore. The question came screaming from her lips before she could stop it: "What the hell happened to you?!" She'd posed that same question once before to Charles, but in a much gentler tone. The force in her voice stunned Erik into silence. It had been so long since he'd seen this side of her.

Seeing the look on her husband's face, Amanda forced herself to calm down. Briefly glancing over her shoulder, she caught eyes with her brother, who was still lying on the ground as Hank tried to lift him. They both nodded at her in understanding. Turning back around, she took a deep breath and walked right up to Erik, smiling softly at him as she kicked off her shoes and stepped carefully onto his feet, hooking her thumbs into his belt-loops as an anchor. Stretching up to peck his chin, she whispered, "Do you remember the first time we did this, the very first time you took me flying?" "How could I forget? It was beautiful, too perfect." "Yes, it was", and she paused before finishing, "We can have that back, you know."

When Erik cocked his head in apparent confusion, she rested her chin on his chest, looking him right in the eyes as she said, "Yes, it's true. Logan _did_ say that Raven's DNA would aid in the building of the Sentinels. However…if we don't create a desire for the Sentinels to be made, there's no need to worry about that happening. People like Trask want to make those robots because they're scared. And baby…to be honest, your actions aren't exactly helping to calm them." She got choked up when his shoulders slumped. His eyes started scanning the area around them, a clear sign he was getting uncomfortable. Sniffling, Amanda linked her arms around his waist, briefly snuggling her face into his chest and hugging him tightly. She felt him doing the same, his fingers threading into her hair.

His eyes widened in shock when she started speaking his native language: "Erik…Erik, baby Bitte... Bitte, Hor Mir Zu." She lifted her right hand and ran her fingertips all over Erik's face, tracing his cheekbones and nose, smiling again when she felt the tiny shiver beneath his skin. She gingerly touched his lips, lingering on the bottom one for a second, and said, "Komm Zuruch Mit Mir. Wir Konnen Wieder Glucklich Sein. Ich verspreche." Tears prickled in the corners of Erik's eyes, "You've been practicing" coming out in a slightly-cracked voice. Amanda smiled back. "Yes. Yes, I have. I had a lot of time to, after all." Seeing the sadness flicker in his eyes, she stood on her tip-toes and made her lips hover over his, whispering "Ich Liebe Dich, Shatz."He cupped the back of her head and pulled her into a kiss.

_**And it's draining all of me.**_

_**Oh, they find it hard to believe.**_

_**I'll be wearing these scars for everyone to see.**_

_**I don't care what they say.**_

_**I'm in love with you.**_

_**They try to pull me away, but they don't know the truth.**_

_**My heart's crippled by the vein that I keep on closing.**_

_**You cut me up and I keep bleeding.**_

Back in the mansion's clinic, an exhausted Amanda breathed in the strong smell of iodine, trying to hide her wincing as her friend stitched up her wounds. "Do you think there will be scars, Hank?" "Likely so, but I don't think they'll be too bad." He glanced up, giving her a tiny smile as he began wrapping an ACE bandage around her arm. She shrugged and said, "Ah, well…more scars mean more lessons, and more stories to tell." "You really like sharing stories, don't you, Meine Gottin?" Hearing the familiar endearment in her love's native tongue, Amanda turned to her left side, grabbing Erik's outstretched hand, hoping that she never had to let it go for too long again.

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**I keep bleeding.**_

_**I keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**Keep bleeding.**_

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**You cut me open, and I keep bleeding.**_

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**I keep bleeding.**_

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

_**Keep bleeding.**_

_**Keep, keep bleeding love.**_

Alex stood a few feet away, arms crossed and scowling as he leaned against the doorframe. Charles was next to him, drained as much as the rest of them. He was still angry with his friend, but for the first time in a long while, the spark of hope was back in his eyes again. "As a child", he said, "I was always told by my father that love would find a way…and so, it has. It is through this that we will create our _new_ future."

_**AN: I hope you liked the German I used here. Thank goodness for Google Translate. Unfortunately, Micro. Word took out some of the necessary punctuation marks, so I'm sorry if some of the phrases came out wrong. Here's the list of translations: 1)"Erik...Erik, baby, bitte."="Erik...Erik, baby, please." 2)"Bitte hor mir zu."="Please listen to me." 3)"Komm zuruck mit mir."="Come back with me." 4)"Wir konnen wieder glucklich sein."="We can be happy again." 5)"Ich verspreche."="I promise." 6)"Ich liebe dich, shatz."="I love you, sweetheart." 7)"Meine Gottin"="My Goddess". And...cue deep breath(giggle). That's it. I hope the list was appropriate, & I also hope you'll leave very kind reviews.**_


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